THE RESOURCES OF THE MARJA‘IYYA AND HAWZA, AND THEIR HISTORICAL EVOLUTION 93 CHAPTER 3: THE RESOURCES OF THE MARJA‘IYYA AND HAWZA, AND THEIR HISTORICAL EVOLUTION Ali almamoori PREFACE According to the official narratives of the Shi‘ite religious establishment 59 , if you will indulge this description of it as an establishment, Shi‘ism originated as an oppositional doctrine. As such, the institution is not funded by the state, which is predominantly Sunni. It is thus compelled to fund itself through its followers and to develop precepts jurisprudence so that it can be financially sustainable and move forward within a framework in which it is meant to be in opposition to government. Shi‘ites have historically handed over money as“Shari‘a-mandated dues” to imams or their agents. Historical mentions of this date back to the time of Abu Ja‘far al-Mansour, in the days of Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq. The rules for collecting money from Shi‘ites gradually centered around the familiar resources under Shari‘a – zakat, the khums tax on assets, gifts, endowment funds, and so on – with a major focus on khums because it came to encompass all Shi‘ites. A one-fifth tax was levied on everything in excess of their yearly subsistence, whether they were rich or poor, in contrast to other resources based on the rich and on certain proceeds such as zakat. The money is spent on specific resources, especially with regard to khums, which is divided in two: the imam’s share, and the share of the poor, orphans, and the destitute from the Hashemites, from the descendants of Ali and Fatima. From the imam’s share, the mujtahid jurist – i.e, the marji‘ – spends money on 59 See: Laura Henselmann,“The Shi’ite Clergy in Iraq After Sistani- Growing Iranian Influence?” (no place of publication; Konrad Adenauer Initiative, Maison du Futur, undated), p. 7.